As the weekend comes to an end, so do the number of area high school commencement ceremonies, as well as the high school careers of many young adults.
While this weekend has undoubtedly been an incredibly joyous one to the hundreds of area graduates and their families, it has also been one that makes them ask the question, "What comes next?"
"Please, stop pestering us with the question, 'What are you going to do with the rest of your life?' It is as uncertain and as unpredictable as the weather in Western New York," said Shannon Murphy, Falconer Central School valedictorian, during her commencement address Thursday night.
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Many students will be packing their bags and heading off on a new adventure. Some will remain in the area, attending either Jamestown Community College or Jamestown Business College, while others will wander a little farther away to colleges or universities. Others still intend to serve our country by enlisting in the service.
But what will the lives of these bright young individuals look like 10 years down the line? Although it is a question that many, like Murphy, cringe to answer, the following area graduates have high hopes and many goals for the achievements that their lives will bring.
KEVIN DOREY
Southwestern High School
Attending JCC
for technology
"I see myself in 10 years with a successful job, going away from the region."
BRANDON KNEPSHIELD
Southwestern High School
Attending JCC, planning to attend Police Academy
"I see myself in 10 years being a police officer."
TANYK'E W.
Randolph Academy
Attending JCC for
criminal justice
"I want to be a criminal attorney. I've had that type of dream since I was nine. It's just something I've always wanted to do."
KAYLIN GOWAN
Jamestown High School
Attending Gannon University for physical
therapy
"Hopefully, I will be doing physical therapy."
CHELSEA GOODWILL
Falconer Central School
Attending Alfred State
for nursing
"I plan on living away from here, living in a nice house and working as a nurse."
JACOB GULLO
Jamestown High School
Attending the University at Buffalo for computer sciences
"I see myself as an officer in the United States military."
CAITLIN BROWN
Southwestern High School
Attending Roberts Wesleyan College
"Hopefully, I will be in Rochester with a family. Hopefully, I will be a social worker and working up there."
TYLER STIMSON
Falconer Central School
Enlisted in the Air Force
"I'm going to blow stuff up for the rest of my life. I plan to be rich."
SPENCER DECINQUE
Jamestown High School
Attending St. Lawrence University for biophysics
"Probably in 10 years, I will be doing a residency. I hope to do orthopedic surgery, or dermatology or something like that."
ALLYSON ROACH
Falconer Central School
Attending Allegany College for biology
"I'm going to have a job in the medical field, living somewhere in a big city."
KATELYN SNOW
Falconer Central School
Attending Fashion Institute of Technology for fashion merchandising
"Hopefully, I will be working for a designer."
BEN WHITNEY
Jamestown High School
Attending Gannon University to play football and study sport and exercise science
"I plan on being a team trainer with either a high school or college team."
TOM INGRAO
Falconer Central School
Attending JCC for criminal justice
"In 10 years, I'm going to be on a body-building stage."
TYLER MATA
Falconer Central School
Attending JCC for education
"Hopefully, I will have a steady job and a house."
SAMANTHA SWIDERSKI
Falconer Central School
Attending JBC for medical billing and coding
"I will be working for somebody in the health care department, probably at WCA or a local hospital."
KYLIE BRANDOW
Falconer Central School
Attending JCC for psychology
"I plan on being a psychologist and owning my own business."
ALORA SHERBERT
Southwestern High School
Attending Ithaca College for marketing and a music minor
"Hopefully, I will be working for a big company, such as Disney, in their Broadway sector in marketing."
ASHLEY RHINEHART
Falconer Central School
Attending JCC for media arts
"In 10 years, hopefully, I'll work for Warner Bros."
COLLEEN KIMBALL
Falconer Central School
Attending Ithaca College for anthropology and Spanish
"Hopefully, I will have my PhD and being working in some sort of field in anthropology."
MADELINE CALA
Falconer Central School
Attending Edinboro College for graphic design
"Hopefully, I will be living in a big city, working at an ad agency."
HOLLY JOHNSON
Jamestown High School
Attending Case Western Reserve University for biology
"In 10 years, I will be practicing radiology."
NATE LARSON
Jamestown High School
Attending Colgate University for biology
"I will be a physician of some sort, but I'm not totally sure."
SHAQ PEARSON-KINSEY
Jamestown High School
Enlisted in the Marines
"I'm heading to the Marines. I will be still in the Marines in 10 years."
JENNA GIORDANO
Falconer Central School
Attending JCC for occupational therapy
"I'm not going to live in New York, but I'm going to be an occupational therapist."
KYLE HINMAN
Jamestown High School
Attending the University at Buffalo for mechanical engineering
"I will be somewhere down south, in a city, working for an engineering firm."
ZACH SCHULZE
Jamestown High School
Attending JCC for biotechnology
"Well, in 10 years, I'm not exactly sure yet. But, definitely in the field of ending world hunger."
EVA V.
Randolph Academy
Attending JCC for early childhood education
"I want to be a kindergarten teacher, I'm very good with kids."
ADAM SUNDHOLM
Jamestown High School
Attending Boston University for pre-medicine
"I will be some sort of surgeon, brain surgeon, plastic surgeon. We'll see where it takes me."
SHANE MARUCCI
Southwestern High School
Attending University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for Sports and Rec Management
"In 10 years, I hope to be in the sports industry, working in management."
LEISHA KOLSTEE
Jamestown High School
Moving to Nashville, Tenn. to pursue a singing career
"Hopefully, I will be a really successful singer, or somewhere helping children."